some of the aussies over at cs have been using VST baskets for a snug fit, and (memory is shaky on this one), Synesso baskets for a looser fit. triples will only fit a bottomless PF. my BDB arrives tomorrow, (according to the shipping tracker), but i don't get to play with it until christmas. :(:

If by "cheapish looking group head", you are referring to it's apparent lack of mass, keep in mind that in this case, significant mass is not required for temperature stability, as this is achieved in other ways, as opposed to large thermal mass, like the old e61's rely on.

mostly posting right now, to get subscribed to this threaed. i've been a member here since '04, am perfectly good with UBB code and yet... i still don't know how to subscribe to a thread without posting to it.

I removed the black thing the first day of use. Yes, it's supposed to be for thermal stability, but not necessary if the entire portafilter is heated up evenly with the grouphead. My portafilter gets plenty hot by conduction and if you want it hotter you could always run some water through it.

I have fit my old gaggia double basket, and synesso style double and triple baskets with no problems in fit. They do however make tightening the portafilter a little more difficult though. I think the baskets are a fraction of a millimeter taller when sitting on the portafilter's ridge. But I'm not going back.

As an update: I received my VST 18g basket yesterday. It definitely fits the BDB portafilter. It is a tight fit with respect to circumference not depth. So it takes some muscle to pop back out.

Here's my take on the new basket. (Please understand that I'm still very much a novice Barista): Based on what I had read, I expected that I would have to make some adjustment to my grind/dose regime with the VST compared to the standard Breville double, single-walled basket. However, I didn't realize just how different it would be. After some experimenting, I'm now dosing 1 g more (19g instead of 18g), grinding at a notably finer setting (one that would have almost choked the machine with the standard basket), and getting a better extraction. My pulls are now starting at about 13" (including pre-infusion) instead of 11". The pressure is at 9 to 9.5 bar instead of 9.5 to 10 bar. I'm getting a nice honey color during the entire extraction - about 37" for a double. I'm using a local espresso blend ("Meritage" from Cuvee Coffee). It's a very tasty blend. I've read that the VST is supposed to help with consistency. As I use it over the course of the next week, I'll report what I find.

On the topic of the naked pf. I read on CS that they are close to having them available (at least in the Antipodes).

Update - New, calibrated machine received. Much better! I had to make a few adjustments to grind, tamp and dose compared to the uncalibrated machine, but the results today have been spectacular! I highly recommend you either perform the OPV valve adjustment yourself, or take advantage of the exchange program offered by Breville USA...

- If you unplug the machine timer resets, which is a downer. Vario had the same issue in its first run, which was addressed in subsequent update a year later. Not sure why Breville couldn't include a basic memory unit to retain this and other settings.

I'm so glad this thread has been created. There's nothing worse than hopping on a thread to get information on how to use your newly purchased machine and coming back with a bunch of reasons why others do not like it. Kinda makes you second guess your decision.

I am still an enthusiastic novice who has been using this machine for past 3 days and so far I'm happy with it. I have already adjusted my OPV and find that the slow steaming performance is actually helping me create better microfoam. My only gripe at this point is how milk will immediately bake on the steam wand no matter how fast you try to wipe it down. I wish there was some way to upgrade that to a no-burn in the future.

With 18G of Meritage in the VST basket, is the spent puck is less likely to stick to the BDB'sdispersion screen than with the stock double/non pressurized basket? It's not a super bigdeal but my puck is almost always stuck to the screen after extraction with the stock basket.

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